People at Work

Imagine you’re delivering a town hall presentation on Zoom to your entire organization. Now think what you’d do if a potato head filter appeared instead of your face. And try as you might, you can’t remove it.

Would you be flustered and embarrassed or would you embrace the moment to be a real person in a jam? A humble and vulnerable leader would accept the fate delivered by the Zoom gods and have a laugh, before proceeding with the presentation as a potato head.

This is a real story shared by Zina Sutch and Patrick Malone on the latest episode of People at Work. The topic of conversation is a new era of leadership based on self-awareness and humility, stripping away ego, power, and titles to reveal human beings who happen to lead people.

Once you’re able to connect with yourself first, you can then start to show concern, interest, and even love for those around you. Then you’ll tap into the bottomless well of creativity, problem solving, ideas, trust, and loyalty.

With deep insights from their book, “Leading with Love and Laughter”, Zina and Patrick make a strong case for heart-centred leadership for yourself and others. If you’re evolving as a leader in the context of the ever-changing world of work (who isn’t?), this conversation will get you well on your way.

About our guests: 

Zina Sutch has been leading development and diversity programs for the US Federal Government for 20 years, and currently serves in the Senior Executive Service. Patrick Malone spent 23 years in the Navy and served as an officer in the Medical Service Corps. Zina is a faculty member and Patrick is director of the Key Executive Leadership Programs at American University.

You can contact Dr. Zina on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/zina-b-sutch-ph-d-843752a/, and Dr. Patrick on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/patrick-malone-phd-51b2a624/.

Resources: 

sutchmalone.com

Their new book: Leading with Love and Laughter: Letting Go and Getting Real at Work

If the pandemic has afforded us anything, it’s a fresh perspective on a major part of our lives: work. Where we do it, how it’s measured, what we’re prepared to put up with, and how we expect bosses to behave (I could go on).

Happiness at work expert Aoife O’Brien advocates for a fresh perspective on work itself, and where it fits in our lives. With her research and personal work experiences, she believes we shouldn’t embrace work and life, work-life balance, or any other way to stitch those two parts together.

Instead, let’s simply think about life, and all the parts and contributors in that experience. This helps us make smarter decisions about what we want from our lives, what success means to us, and how we choose to spend our time.

Listen in on how Aoife suggests we can achieve happiness when we adopt this mindset. We also talk about how organizations can make a shift to whole person support structures, and the role that individuals play in their own happiness, wherever they find themselves.

About our guest:

Aoife O’Brien is a Happiness at Work expert. Her background is in data analytics in the CPG market research industry, and now she uses her strengths to help organisations to increase culture-fit to create happier working environments where employees flourish. Aoife has lived and worked in several countries and has travelled to all 7 continents, mostly independently, with camera in hand!

You can contact Aoife on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien, on Twitter at @HappieratWorkHQ, and on Instagram at @happieratwork.ie.

Resources: 

Imposter to Empowered ebook https://www.impostersyndrome.ie/pl/2147526113

https://happieratwork.ie

https://www.impostersyndrome.ie

2019 seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? And in the world of work the rate of change over the past two years is probably the highest it’s ever been. With more people than ever considering new opportunities and companies able to hire across a wider geographical area it can be hard to stand out. But in order to attract and retain top talent you really need to start building a strong employer brand.

On this episode I chatted with Joe Mullings about a wide-range of topics related to these changes we’re facing. We spoke about:

• Work from Anywhere (WFX)
• Generational effects on those who are starting their career fully-remote
• The many inequities of hybrid work
• How content creation and brand building have been democratized due to demographic shifts
• Why HR shouldn’t be the ones hunting for new employees
• And much, much more

I got a lot out of this conversation and I hope you do too. Enjoy!

About our guest: 

Joe is the Chairman & CEO of The Mullings Group Companies, including TMG Search, Dragonfly Stories & TMG360 Media. The search firm is responsible for more than 8,000 successful searches in the medtech / healthtech industry with clients ranging from multi-billion-dollar companies to emerging tech startups. Dragonfly Stories is the media production company behind the Award-Winning video docuseries, “TrueFuture”, of which Joe is the host as well as generating attention and awareness for companies globally. In 2020, Joe was appointed Chief Visionary Officer for MRINetwork, Inc. where he guides the digital transformation of the MRINetwork bringing video storytelling strategies and techniques for talent access, which he innovated at The Mullings Group.

You can contact Joe on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/joemullings/, on Facebook at @joemullings and on Instagram at @joemullings. 

Resources:

True Future Docuseries

Mullings Group

Dragonfly Stories

TMG360 Media

Youtube page

The people at Wilson Sporting Goods have been navigating a world of work turned upside down, much like the rest of us, over the past 20 months. But, they’ve made a few critical decisions along the learning curve to help galvanize their new way of working together.

At the core of their new hybrid work culture is constant communication. Geoff Watts joins me on People at Work to share what this looks like in practice. Connection at every level, starting with individual employees, is their sweet spot.

Not only does this ensure that people are heard and given space to shape their own work experience, but it enables tremendous value creation for employees and consumers. And that leads to a crystal clear understanding of the company’s vision, and every person’s role in achieving it.

We’re living through interesting times, and the need to look after our people increases daily. Geoff also has some thoughts on employee care, retention, and satisfaction, against the backdrop of “The Great Resignation”. As he puts it, the grass is greenest where you water it.

Give this episode a listen and you too can tend to your lawn, and ensure that your people don’t need to head to the other side to see if it’s greener.

About our guest:

Leader at Wilson Sporting Goods. Runner, cyclist, and coffee addict. Geoff’s favorite book is Legacy by James Kerr. An incredible book about the New Zealand All Blacks and their approach towards not only sport, but life in general.

You can contact Geoff on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/geoff-watts-aaa8792/

You’ve probably heard of job sharing, but what about top sharing? It’s a flexible working arrangement offering senior level role splitting across two or more people.

How can that possibly work you might ask? I had the same question (and more). Fortunately I recently met Karin Tischler, who focuses her research and energy on this precise topic.

Karin joined me on People at Work to dive into what she’s learned, and why she’s an avid fan of top sharing. Karin makes a case for how this can reduce burnout, increase innovation, and enhance job satisfaction.

With the door to flexible working flung wide open due to the global pandemic, now’s the time to expand our thinking about unique and creative ways of getting work done while harnessing expertise at the senior level.

About our guest: 

Lifelong researcher focused on flexible work to get to gender equality faster. Currently stuck global traveler using podcast intro questions to learn more about future locations to visit from her international guests.

You can contact Karin on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/karin-tischler/, on Twitter at @karin_tischler, and on Instagram at @karintischlerbc.

Resources:

Podcast: "Jobsharing and Beyond"

Website: Emilyspath.ca

Do you want a high performance culture in your workplace? Who doesn’t? Trouble is, I don’t think we’re being honest about what’s needed to get this level of performance at work.

Anthony Vaughan has some ideas on this topic, starting with this simple premise: people first.

If you want people to contribute and deliver, you need to create a safe place and take care of them. That means understanding what makes them tick, listening to their concerns, and supporting them in ways that matter to them (not you).

Anthony talks more about his ideas and offers some practical advice for managers and leaders on the latest episode of People at Work.

About our guest:

Anthony is a hybrid, a split between an entrepreneur, executive, and HR rebel! Everything he believes and does is backed by putting employees first.

You can contact Anthony on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/anthony-vaughan-8ba8a8172. 

Resources: 

Website : https://e1b2.webflow.io/

Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-e1b2-collective-podcast/id1467066005

You’re sailing on choppy seas, and building your boat as you go. That’s the vivid picture that Vicki Yang paints about tackling how to do hybrid work.

It really emphasizes the situation most of us are in if we’ve chosen hybrid mode. We don’t have the answers, we don’t know what will work, and we’ve got to try something and see if it takes us forward.

On the latest episode of People at Work Vicki chats about what Bonusly is doing to build their boat. It’s a lot of trial and error, but three things are key: understand what individuals need and want, document everything to keep things clear for all, and stay as flexible as possible.

Hear about this and much more with Vicki’s generous sharing so that we can learn and adapt too.

About our guest:

A people leader who leads by helping build up people through coaching on matters relating to performance management, org development, recognition, and engagement. An avid reader, with current favourite reads: The Making of a Manager, Just Work, and Eloquent Rage.

You can contact Vicki on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/victoriayang/. 

Resources: 

Life Labs for workshops and webinars (especially around hybrid work)

Think about your day-to-day at work right now. Are you in the moment swatting at the most immediate issues or are you fixated on getting to better times ahead?

Many of us are wrestling with how we shift to new ways of working together. Dave McKeown thinks that to make this new mode work for everyone, we need to have a two track approach. Fix what’s broken in the short-term, but keep focused on where you want to go in the long-term.

This means that leaders have to be honest about not having all the answers. It means trying new ways and failing until you find what works—and being okay with that.

Hybrid and dispersed work require a new mindset. What worked before won’t work now. Dave has very practical tips for what to think about and how to make the most of uncertainty.

About our guest: 

Dave McKeown helps individuals, teams, and organizations achieve excellence by doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well. He is the CEO of Outfield Leadership and author of The Self-Evolved Leader - Elevate Your Focus and Develop Your People in a World That Refuses to Slow Down. Dave is the host of the podcast 'Lead Like you Give a Damn' and writes a weekly column for Inc.com.

You can contact Dave on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/davemckeown/, on Instagram @davemckeown1, on Twitter @davemckeown, and on Facebook facebook.com/davejmckeown/.

Resources: 

Free Guide: Six Secrets of Effective Strategic Planning. Discover how to set and achieve your strategic goals with ease. Download from www.outfieldleadership.com

If you’ve ever heard a friend or family member on a work call you may have noticed they have a “work voice.” A lot of people feel the need to sound more professional so they change their tone, sanitize their language a bit, and are a pared down version of themselves. All because they want to be seen as a professional.

But the reason for this might be because the company chooses to see their people as professionals first and humans second. It could be that they’re part of a transactional company culture and not a transformational one.

A transformational culture puts the human first and encourages them to bring their whole selves to work. Their own distinct views, values, and thoughts. And ultimately the goal of the company is to have each employee leave the company a better version of themselves than when they started. In turn, people will want to go that extra mile and will bring their own unique ideas to their work.

On this episode I spoke with Shane Metcalf from 15Five about why building a transformational culture is one of the most important things you can do for your people. We also spoke about his unconventional background for a tech founder and the new sabbatical program that they’re rolling out.

About our guest:

Shane Metcalf, Co-founder of 15Five, is a keynote speaker on building a world class workplace and one of the world’s leading pioneers in the space of cultural engineering and positive psychology. His insights have been featured in Inc, Fast Company, Business Insider, Washington Post, Tech Crunch, and Bloomberg.

You can contact Shane on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/shane-metcalf-55620213/, and on Twitter at @shane_metcalf. 

I was an early-ish adopter of virtual reality (VR). When the HTC Vive came out in 2016 I ended up buying one sheerly out of curiosity. The graphics were pixelated and didn’t look that realistic...but it’s so immersive that it felt real. So real that I may or may not have punched air when a ghost popped out while playing a Paranormal Activity VR game. Luckily that event was not captured on video.

So what in the world does all that have to do with this podcast?

On this episode I got to chat with Robin Rosenberg, CEO and Founder of Live In Their World, about how VR is an effective tool to help with civility training and DE&I. It allows people to truly live in someone else’s shoes for a brief moment and see how a scenario may play out. For example, men can experience what it’s like to be a woman as a man stands over their desk speaking to them. It helps drive home the feelings someone might experience to help decrease bias and increase respectful engagement.

We also chat about how VR is just a tool and that ultimately it comes down to building a habit of taking the time to be self-aware enough to realize how your words and deeds impact others, and then adjusting your behavior accordingly.

About our guest:

Robin S. Rosenberg is the CEO and Founder of Live in Their World. Robin is a clinical psychologist and textbook author. Robin has also been interested in virtual reality (VR) for years, and was the lead author of a study to investigate using “VR for good.” She has written and spoken about the psychology of superheroes, using other people’s fictional stories to illustrate scientific psychological findings.

You can connect with Robin at linkedin.com/in/robin-s-rosenberg-b6942329 and on Twitter @LiveNTheirWorld.

Resources:

Dear Robin Column

Their World podcast